Vestibule (ear)

Last revised by Craig Hacking ◉ on 29 Jul 2024

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Bullen P, Hacking C, Weerakkody Y, et al. Vestibule (ear). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 15 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-51125

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-51125

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/51125?embed_domain=hackmd.io%252525252F%2525252540yipuafecsl2jsu8smr5njq%252525252Fbnjhjgjghjghjgh

rID:

51125

Article created:

7 Feb 2017, Paul Bullen

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Paul Bullen had no recorded disclosures.

View Paul Bullen's current disclosures

Last revised:

29 Jul 2024, Craig Hacking ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had the following disclosures:

Philips Australia, Paid speaker at Philips Spectral CT events (ongoing)

These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.

View Craig Hacking's current disclosures

Revisions:

14 times, by 7 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Head & Neck

Sections:

Anatomy

Tags:

vestibule, inner ear

The vestibule is an approximately 4 mm central chamber of the bony labyrinth. It is dominated by depressions housing parts of the membranous labyrinth:

utricle (elliptical recess)
saccule (spherical recess)
basal end of the cochlear duct (cochlear recess)

It is located medial to the tympanic cavity, posterior to the cochlea and anterior to the semicircular canals. In the lateral wall is the oval window with the stapes foot plate covering it.

The cribrose areas have perforations through which the nerve bundles gain access to the inner ear. The endolymphatic duct is housed within the bony vestibular aqueduct and originates at the posteroinferior aspect of the vestibule, via the utriculosaccular duct.